This subject is so patently clear and evident to me now, that it seems almost
too obvious to require an explanation , yet I know there was a time
when I didn't see the connection and I had to gradually stumble over the metaphysical
insights in order to see the Light. I can only presume that some of you are
in the same boat.

It's hard to know where to begin, but begin I must. I'm going to start with
the metaphysical and move towards the physical connection as the story unfolds.
Stick with me. You'll realize why I've had to do it this way once you've read
everything. .

In the Beginning

We are all IMMORTAL
SPIRIT BEINGS who have lived out THOUSANDS of other physical lives here
on earth before this one. Each time we die, we return to the spirit world
and have a conference with wise counselors who review our life's history and
help us decide on the best plan for our future and continued SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
for our NEXT physical lifetime. After a period of rest, study (oh yes, you're
as busy and occupied on the Other Side as you are on this one), and self examination,
we return to the earth plane by entering the body of a carefully chosen newborn
baby, just as we had done on so many occasions in the past. The memory of
our past lives is erased from our CONSCIOUS mind when we begin a new life
in order to allow us the complete freedom of making truly unbiased
(and un coerced) SPIRITUAL DECISIONS on a day to day basis. Eventually we figure
out what's going on, live better lives, and earn the right to incarnate on
other worlds where "the living is easier" and not nearly as contentious as
earth life. As we progress upwards (spiritually speaking), we find ourselves
experiencing higher (and lighter) frequency realms. Earth life is merely the
first (and lowest) rung of a very long ladder of spiritual evolution. Earth
life can be wonderful and full of joy and pleasure (and some pain) if we play
our cards right, but it can also be a very trying and difficult existence
if we don't understand the Rules of Reality and decide to sleep with those
who wish to be destructive and foment negativity or unkindness towards others.

That's a super short condensation of The Big Story and I've left out
a lot, but we will return to it as time allows.

The Smaller Story is as follows:

Reality

We are much more than what we appear to be. We base our perception of ourselves
on what we see in the mirror. This physical perception is reinforced by society,
our schools, and even our religions. We are alone, we think, fending off the
wolves who would devour us and clinging to those who offer us support and
loving care. Lord Jesus, Mother Mary, Lord Krishna, Lord Buddha, Mohammed,
Zoarastra, etc. are thought of as Prophets or Saviors of Mankind who exist
somewhere out there. When we pray to Them, we hope they can hear us
out there and will come to our rescue when we need Them to save us
from some dire situation. God is typically viewed as a Father figure, often
depicted as a very muscular looking old man with a long white beard who is
sitting on a throne in Heaven. Many religions reinforce this view of separation.
Little, insignificant Usand big, powerful Them. Of course,
many religions also teach us that their anointed representatives are
necessary middlemen required to represent our interests before God, sort of
like metaphysical lawyers. And you know how beneficial and necessary lawyers
are, don't you?

I'm being a little facetious, but I'm trying to get across the point that
a fundamental misdirection has been taught by many organized
religions that was never taught by the Founder of that religion. This
misdirection did not come about by accident. It was intentional. It is the
work of men who sought to gather power and privilege to themselves using the
pretext of being earthly representatives of God. The purpose was to create
a hierarchy of controlling elites at the top and the "'followers" down
below who were expected to pay the bills. A similar hierarchy evolved in the
secular world with the idea of kingship/royalty and their "subjects" who again,
were expected to pay (in some manner) for the privilege of being ruled and
controlled. The true teachings of Christ and many other great spiritual teachers
of antiquity were twisted and distorted by these elites desiring to create
a paradigm of control and obedience to them. This is not what
Christ taught or wanted. Jesus said that "The Kingdom of God is Within".
And so it is.

What did He mean? He meant that God exists within us at all times.
We are part of God. We are not separated from God. We don't have to go looking
for Him because we already have Him within every molecule and atom of our being.
In fact, none of us are truly separate from each other. It only appears
that way. It's an illusion, although it's hard to accept that from our limited
perspective. We are all part of God and God pervades everything. He is All
That Is.

Now once you start to realize that, doors begin to open. You
no longer feel so alone and fearful. You aren't battling the Dark Forces of
the universe by yourself, you now realize, but rather you have a great deal
of help and support at your disposal. You are a part of God and God is
a part of you.. You are an integral part of a greater Reality. A Divine
Nature dwells within you since you are born of the Father and the Father
is Divinity itself.Therefore, you have friends in very high places. The ancient Hindu scriptures wrote of these truths eons ago.

If you study the writings of yoga masters, you will come across the
concept of Athman (Atman), or the Godhead figure within. The Soul and
Atman are not exactly the same, but the Atman exist within the Soul. The Soul
still retains the outer mantle of sense perception and carries the karmic
baggage of previous lives. The Atman is completely detached and free of all
sense desires or aversions. It is possible to perceive and experience the Atman
while in this physical life. When you do, you are free. You can experience
total bliss that will exceed anything your imagination can conjure.You will
never view the world and its turmoil and triumphs in the same way, ever again.

Support Team

You have a team of Angels and Spirit Guides who have been 'assigned' to assist
you during your earthly journey. Sometimes your Guides are changed or rotated
depending on what sort of help you need at any given moment in your life.
Guides are always beings who have experienced physical life many, many times
and are very knowledgeable in the ways of the world. Your Angels, who have
never experienced the physical plane, stay with you for the duration. These
helpers always work in the background, but their assistance can become much
more abundant and obvious if you attempt to communicate with them and seek
their help.

One of the things that you'll never hear about from conventional religious
instructions is that there are certain spiritual Universal Laws in
place that are in operation at all times throughout the universe. These Laws
are inviolate and apply to all sentient beings whether you exist on the physical
plane or in higher, non physical dimensions. They apply whether you come from
Earth, Sirius B, Mars, Nibiru, Venus, or any other planet in this galaxy
or any other galaxy. They apply in all the higher dimensional planes as well.

There are Three major Universal Laws and many other sub universal laws under
the umbrella of the three main ones. One of those Universal Laws is the Law
of Non Interference or Free Will. Simply stated, this law requires that
Free Will rules above all else when it comes to receiving assistance
from higher spirit beings. If you don't want their help or do not ask
for it, it cannot be 'pushed' on you. They must respect your Will.
In an emergency, of course, due to ignorance on your part, your Angels will
help get you out of a jam that might imperil your life or help avert a disaster,
but as a rule they stand by ready to assist, but can only help you when you
ask for their help. An extremely important point to remember. You've
already been given this lesson by the Great Teacher who walked the Earth 2,000
years ago:" Knock and the Door shall be Opened unto you. Seek and you shall
Find".

The Law of Cause & Effect is also iron clad and causes us to acquire
Karmic debt or Karma, at least in the lower dimensional planes. Once
a soul 'graduates' to a high enough plane or spiritual dimension, he is no
longer liable to incur Karmic debt. Karma, as you likely know, is reaping
what you sow. For every unkind gesture, thought, action, or intention, you
must pay the piper in this life or in future lives to come or both. The nastier
you are, the more you'll have to pay.

For every act of kindness, charity, or sacrifice, and every thought, word,
deed or intention that you perform based on love and understanding (forgiveness), you pay
down your Karmic debt and advance in soul development at the same time. Freedom
from Karma can be achieved while still on earth and within the physical body.
Many enlightened souls have done so down through the centuries. You can do
it too, if you want it bad enough. The key for opening that golden door is
obtained through enlightened mediation and complete self realization.

Paramahansa Yogananda and
his predecessors taught a scientific form of enlightened meditation
called Kriya Yoga that could permit the dedicated and devoted practitioner
union with God, or samadhi and complete self realization while on earth.

The Law of Cause & Effect can also cause things to be created, including
good health and freedom from adversity. I came upon an audio tape of Dr. Robert
Bitzer in a most serendipitous way at the Power of Thought School in
Fayetteville, Arkansas in the Fall of 1998. It was sitting there alone in
a bin with other odd lot items for clearance sale. I think I paid 50 cents
for it. I wouldn't have taken it if the price wasn't so low since I had no
idea who Robert Bitzer was or if he had anything to say that I would be interested
in.

It turned out to be the most powerful lecture that I've ever heard on the
Law of Cause & Effect. I must have replayed it a hundred times. I can
practically recite it from heart. I greatly treasure that tape and thank Spirit
for allowing me to come upon it in the way that I did. Of course, now I know
it was a set up all along. That's the way they do it in the Spirit World.
You think it's dumb luck and blind chance, but Nahhhhh,.... it's them
giving you a lift to get up to speed and move you closer to God.

The Higher Self

Another topic that is never discussed in traditional religious education is
the concept of the Higher Self. You think there is just you,
the face you see in the mirror, and that you are alone in the world. You assume
that the ego, the part of you that tenaciously clings to life, that jockeys
for position and power, that propels you to seek physical gratification, that
tempts you to dominate others, and causes you to respond to life's tribulations
with anxiety and fear is the very core of your being, but it is not so.

There is much more to you than you might imagine. The
face you see in the mirror is but one aspect, in physical form, of your soul,
but your soul is yet part of a larger concept called the Over soul.
The Higher Self is the 'director', in a manner of speaking, of the Over soul
and is directly connected to the Universal Cosmic Mind which in turn
is connected to the core of all creation, God. All knowledge, all truths,
and all possibilities exists within the Universal Cosmic Mind. If you can
gain access to this "Above Top Secret" cosmic computer room, you can find
out anything you want and manipulate reality to satisfy your wishes.

As it turns out, you already have an inside contact. It's your own agent/representative
inside the "Big Room with the Big Board" (borrowed from the movie Dr. Strangelove-one
of the funniest satires of all times on the foolishness of the military mind
and the immature egotism that animates it) and we call that representative
our Higher Self.

To be continued...

June 8, 2002 Martin Brofman
contacted me by E mail on June 4, 2002 and said the following: " I saw
your web site on the Mind-Body Connection, and I thought you might be able
to use the attached article I have written on the subject. I have been teaching
healing for the past 25 years since I healed myself of terminal cancer in
1976, and have been exploring the body/mind interface ever since."

It took me a couple of days to get around to reading his articles, but when
I finally did, I knew I had to add them to this page just as he suggested.
He has "continued" my story for me, for this is exactly where I wanted to
go in my own piece. I'll still finish my saga, but you can get an excellent
'sneak preview' to where my story is heading with these two wonderful
and inspiring articles.

I began to have doors open for me some years ago when I stumbled upon the books
of Jane Roberts and her channeling of a being who referred to himself
as Seth. Seth "dictated" many books through Jane with the help of her
husband, Robert Butts. I've always found Seth's insights and revelation on the
nature of reality and what goes on in the higher planes of consciouness to be
fascinating and thought provoking. You might click on the links below to read
a bit from Seth on the nature of reality and death. The first link is an index
to many web posted articles by Seth. You can also find lots of Seth material
at http://www.spiritweb.org and of course,
you can find Seth/Jane Roberts books in any major bookstore.

Some books to consider reading that will expand your thinking along these
lines are:

1. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa
Yogananda (http://www.yogananda-srf.org/) or any big bookstore.
2. The Science of Psychic Healing by Yogi Ramacharaka (Tibetan,
Hindu, Buddist type bookstores
( http://www.bodhitree.com/) or you can order from
a regular bookstore
3. How to Know God; The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali translated by Swami
Prabhavananda & Christopher Isherwood (http://www.yogananda-srf.org/
or the Vedanta Society of Southern California, 1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood,
CA 90068

All information posted on this web site is
the opinion of the author and is provided for educational purposes only.
It is not to be construed as medical advice. Only a licensed medical doctor
can legally offer medical advice in the United States. Consult the healer
of your choice for medical care and advice.